Baby Sitting
by Zan65
Summary: NCIS are challenged to find a missing marine, but Gibbs finds himself one agent short after Tony becomes incapacitated. Gibbs finds his skills as an investigator - and his patience - tested like never before. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

BABYSITTING

_This is another of my 'Moments & Fragments' expanded into a multi-fic. It has my usual emphasis on Tony and Gibbs, and there is also a case to solve. Hope you like it. I've reposted M&F as Chapter One as not everyone will have read it. Love, Zan XX_

_PS: There are no actual babies in this story, just in case you were wondering!_

CHAPTER ONE

Tony didn't want to disturb Gibbs. In fact he had even contemplated leaving his Boss's house and driving himself home, but the pain in his mid-section had become so intense that he doubted his own ability to get into the car, let alone drive. Now, as he hovered in the doorway of Gibbs' bedroom, clutching his middle with one hand and bracing himself against the doorframe with the other, he wondered if collapsing and waking Gibbs that way was better than asking for help.

As Tony moved forwards, his body refused to co-operate totally. He found himself on his knees. He crawled to the bed and shook the blanket edge with a trembling hand.

'Boss,' he managed to croak.

Gibbs was woken by a movement and a noise. Instantly on alert, he sat bolt upright and swung his legs over the bed edge, nearly kicking his number one filed agent in the side of the head.

'What the hell?' he barked before noticing that something was definitely very wrong with Tony. Even in the half light he could see how ashen Tony's face was and the way that the younger man was hunched over.

'Sorry Boss,' came Dinozzo's rote response. He knew this had been a bad idea.

'Stop apologizing,' grumbled Gibbs as he sprung out of bed. 'What's hurting?' he asked directly.

'Stomach. Side,' rasped Tony through gritted teeth. 'It's bad.'

Gibbs placed one arm across Tony's shoulders and gripped his elbow.

'Let's get you off the floor,' he said, gruffly, masking his concern. He had never known Tony to complain about pain before. Once Tony was on the bed, he immediately curled into a fetal position, his arms folded across his mid-section. Gibbs was alarmed to see tears of pain streaming from beneath his agent's tightly closed eyelids. The ex-marine picked up his cell and rang 911 as he gripped Tony's shoulder.

'I need an ambulance at this address!' he barked into the phone.

'What's the problem, Sir?' asked the operator.

'He's in his early thirties. Severe abdominal pain. Just send an ambulance, dammit!' growled Gibbs.

'Dispatching now, Sir. Try to keep the patient calm and safe.'

Gibbs ended the call and immediately pressed speed dial.

'Ducky. I need you at my place. Now. I know it's late. It's Dinozzo. Yeah, Ambulance is coming, but I want you to check him out. Thanks, Duck.'

Gibbs gave Tony's shoulder one more squeeze before pulling pants and a sweater over his shorts, all the while keeping a watchful eye on Tony's face. He was really concerned now. Tony had not objected to the ambulance or Ducky. Dressed, Gibbs knelt beside Tony on the bed and placed his mouth close to the younger man's ear. Tony still held his eyes tightly shut and his body was trembling.

'Hang in there, Tony,' he told him. 'Help's coming.'

Tony could hear the sound of a voice but it seemed to be coming from far away, over the noise of his heart pumping and the rush of his blood in his ears. He felt a hand stroke his forehead and again heard the murmur of the distant voice. As another wave of pain hit, he tried to focus only on the soothing hand and the reassuring murmur.

Ducky let himself in and called out to Gibbs.

'In here!' shouted Gibbs from the bedroom. Ducky hurried to the main bedroom at the sound of the anxious reply. Gibbs seldom sounded stressed. He found Gibbs half kneeling/half laying next to Tony who was obviously in a lot of discomfort.

'My dear boy!' exclaimed Ducky softly as he approached the bed. 'What happened?' he asked Gibbs.

'I was asleep. Next thing I knew, Tony was on the floor trying to wake me,' Gibbs explained, still stroking Tony's forehead. 'He couldn't say much – just that his gut and side hurt and that it was bad.' As Tony suddenly clutched more desperately around himself as another wave of pain assaulted him, Gibbs channeled his worry into anger.

'Where's that f***ing ambulance?!' he growled.

At his change in tone, Tony began to moan in distress. Ducky knew he needed to take charge.

'Jethro, ring again,' he suggested. 'But keep your voice calm. Tony's only semi-conscious. He's just sensing your mood without understanding what's leading to it.'

Ducky was just starting to take Tony's vitals when the paramedics arrived. Gibbs threw down his cell and scowled at them for daring to let his senior field agent suffer unnecessarily.

'Rapid pulse. Clammy. Shallow breathing,' Ducky informed them. 'Severe abdominal pain radiating from or to his left side,' he continued.

'Cause?' asked one paramedic as he ran his eye over Tony.

'Unknown,' replied Ducky.

The paramedic turned to address Gibbs directly.

'Does your son take drugs?' he asked.

'He doesn't take drugs,' Gibbs told him with confidence, ignoring the assumption the man had made. There was no time for unnecessary explanations.

The paramedic rested a hand on Tony's shoulder.

'Sir, can you tell us what you're feeling?' he asked calmly.

Tony heard the gist of the question through his misery.

'Like…like crap,' he whispered, hoarsely.

'We need to examine you,' the paramedic continued. 'We're going to roll you onto your back.'

With Ducky and Gibbs helping, Tony managed to lay on his back, his arms still held protectively across his stomach.

As the paramedic lifted his t-shirt, the small movement caused Tony to hiss with pain.

'Try to breathe, Tony,' Ducky told him gently. Gibbs continued the rhythmic stroking of Tony's forehead.

'Some local swelling,' said the paramedic as he conducted his examination. 'Could be appendicitis. We need to get him to the hospital for ultrasound.'

As the stretcher was being assembled, Ducky gently pulled Tony's t-shirt back down over his abdomen. Tony opened his eyes a crack and looked fearfully at Gibbs.

'Tony, you HAVE to go,' Gibbs told him. At that moment, a fresh wave of pain seized Tony, causing him to curl sideways again.

'Ahhh!' he groaned, unable to stay silent. This hurried the paramedics who efficiently lifted him onto the stretcher and out of the building, Gibbs keeping physical contact the whole way. As Tony was loaded into the ambulance, the paramedic motioned for Gibbs to get in too.

'We'll probably need to ask you some questions about your son, especially if he loses consciousness completely,' he explained. Gibbs nodded and entered the ambulance, sitting on the opposite side to the gurney.

'Better if you sit with him.' said the paramedic as he lifted the com to radio in the details. 'It would be a help if you remove his watch, any jewellery and any other personal items. He'll feel more comfortable knowing that a family member is looking after them.'

Gibbs had a brief moment of panic before reminding himself that he was probably the closest thing that Dinozzo had to a father. Hell, Dinozzo Senior hadn't even shown up when his son had the plague!

Taking a position beside Tony as the ambulance traveled towards the hospital, siren blaring, Gibbs placed his hand over Tony's.

'Just taking off your watch,' he told Tony, quietly. 'I promise I won't let McGee wear it.'

Tony barely grunted a reply, absorbed in fighting the pain. Gibbs removed the stylish watch and slipped it into his pocket. A quick glance confirmed what he already knew: Tony wore no bracelet, chain or rings. Gibbs took the metallic blanket the paramedic passed to him and covered Tony with it. He was unsure of whether Tony was conscious or not. The younger man's mouth was set in a tight, thin line of pain and his eyebrows were low.

'Tony,' he whispered.

'Umm?' was the reply.

'Just seeing if you're still with us.' said Gibbs, relieved.

'What and when did he last eat?' asked the paramedic, pen poised over the chart.

'Pizza. About 2200 hours,' said Gibbs. 'Salami, hot peppers, extra cheese.'

'You have some too?' he questioned.

'Yep,' said Gibbs, smiling faintly at the memory of Tony telling him the pizza was the food of the Gods.

'And you're sure he doesn't do drugs,' added the paramedic.

'Look,' said Gibbs. 'Tony has some issues like everyone does from time to time, but he's clean. I guarantee it, 100%.'

The man made a note and then started another line of questioning.

'What about family history of appendicitis, kidney stones, gallstones?' he asked.

Gibbs was stumped. How would he know? Tony rarely talked about his family, and all Gibbs pretty much knew was that Tony's mother drank herself to death and that his father was a heartless bastard who disowned his only child at the age of twelve. About to admit that he wasn't related to Tony at all, Gibbs was stopped by a sound from Tony.

'No. No history,' he whispered.

'How's the pain?' asked the paramedic as Gibbs processed the fact that Tony had been listening all along.

'Still there,' grunted Tony.

'Any worse?'

Tony shook his head slightly.

'Any better?'

Again there was slight shake of Tony's head.

'Okay. We've arrived at the hospital,' said the paramedic. 'I'll leave you with your dad while I get your details lodged.'

With that, he left the ambulance, leaving Tony and Gibbs alone together. As concerned as he was about Tony's health, Gibbs also felt awkward. Even though it had begun with a misunderstanding, he had no right to carry on with the charade that he was his agent's father without Tony's permission.

Tony opened his eyes to see Gibbs hovering and looking very unsure of himself.

'How are you holding up?' asked Gibbs, tentatively.

'Scared,' Tony admitted, his eyes glistening. Gibbs was a little shocked by the admission and gripped Tony's shoulder.

'You'll be fine,' he told him, hoping he was exuding more confidence than he felt. 'They know what they're doing. I'll make sure Ducky keeps them on their toes.'

'Okay, we're ready for you. We're gonna take you straight into pre-op,' said the paramedic as he returned. Gibbs gave Tony's shoulder a last squeeze before getting out of the way.

'Wait,' Tony managed to call out, his voice hoarse. The paramedics paused as Gibbs came back to the gurney.

'Thanks for looking after me, Dad,' whispered Tony, his eyes shining and a slight smile gracing his lips.

Gibbs could only nod in response. He watched and waited until Tony had been whisked through the doors, into the hospital. He was grateful that he had some time to compose himself before Ducky arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Baby Sitting

Chapter 2

'Gibbs! Is Tony okay? Tell me he's okay! What happened? Is he okay?

'

Gibbs held up his hand – a gesture he hoped would halt the barrage of questions from Abby.

'Come on!' persisted Abby, nervously clutching the lapels of her lab coat. 'I calmly get to work, and there's a message on the lab phone from Ducky saying that Tony's in hospital but he's gonna be okay, but people don't go to hospital if they're okay, and Tony doesn't go the hospital even if he isn't okay, unless he's unconscious or he's been shot or both, so tell me what's wrong Gibbs!'

'Stop talking and I'll tell you,' said Gibbs, fatigue making his voice heavy. Once Ducky had delivered the news that Tony was stable, Gibbs had suddenly felt the effects of a near sleepless night and the drama of the frantic drive to the hospital.

'Gallstone,' said Gibbs. 'A big one. He's gonna be fine.'

Abby shook her head and sank down in the chair besides Gibbs.

'Poor Tony,' she said. 'My uncle had gallstones. He said it sucked. So Tony woke up in pain in the middle of night and called you. That's so sweet Gibbs.'

Gibbs scowled at her description. There had been nothing sweet about finding his number one field agent writhing in pain on the floor.

'He was already at my place,' he explained. 'No heating in his apartment – again.'

Abby regarded Gibbs for a moment. She took in the darkness under his eyes and the fatigue in his overall demeanor. As usual, he was putting on the hard ass act, but he couldn't fool her. Abby suddenly flung her arms around Gibbs and delivered an almighty squeeze.

'Are YOU okay?' she whispered over his shoulder.

'To quote Dinozzo: FINE,' he replied, tersely.

'Ah, Jethro, Abby my dear,' said Ducky in his usual expansive manner as he came upon the pair in the waiting room. Abby let go of Gibbs and turned expectantly to the old M.E.

'Resting comfortably,' he announced. 'He'll come round soon. Another 3 to 5 days in hospital, I'm afraid, and then several weeks at home or doing very light duties at work. I'm afraid Anthony won't be too happy about an extended convalescence, but he'll make a full recovery.'

'I don't care if he's happy about it or not,' said Gibbs, gruffly. 'He'll take the time off and do desk duty or he'll be looking for another job.'

'So what did they have to do in surgery?' asked Abby, slightly rattled by Gibbs' statement.

'Well, my dear,' began Ducky, warming to the topic, 'these days one would typically have gallstones done via key-hole surgery. In Anthony's case, there was substantial inflammation and the beginning of an infection. The emergency C.T. scan they performed upon his arrival confirmed it. The surgeon made a six inch incision across his abdomen and removed the gallbladder.'

'Ouch!' exclaimed Abby.

'Ouch indeed,' agreed Ducky. 'However, people live quite normally without a gallbladder. Anthony's not in the typical high risk category. Predisposition is genetic. He most likely has a close relative with the problem. Of course the pizza with excessive cheese would not have helped matters.'

'He told the paramedic there was no family history of stuff like that,' Gibbs said sharply.

'He probably wouldn't really know,' said Abby. 'It's not like he sees his family much.'

Gibbs shook his head and abruptly stood up.

'Well, he should make it his business to find out,' he grumbled as he threw the polystyrene cup that had held what the hospital had described as coffee into the bin.

'I'm going to get decent coffee,' he called over his shoulder as he was leaving the waiting room.

'Perhaps you should get some sleep,' suggested Ducky.

'Coffee,' repeated Gibbs, without turning around. 'I can sleep tonight. In peace.'

Abby watched Gibbs go before turning to Ducky, her face anxious.

'He's not mad at Tony, is he?' she asked.

'No my dear,' Ducky replied. 'But I think Anthony's given our fearless leader quite a scare.'

……………………………………

Mick O'Connor looked out through the blinds to the street and, sure enough, there was the same car and the same young man in a hooded top that he had seen three times before. It was 9.00am – a full hour before the gymnasium was due to open. When Mick had first seen the car pull up, he has assumed it was some fitness fanatic who didn't know the gym's opening time was 10.00am. As Mick watched, undetected, he saw the hooded man reach into the car and retrieve something before walking briskly away, the car going off in the opposite direction. Mick resumed his duties of switching on the equipment and lighting, but his mind was on what he had just observed. His gut was telling him that there was something wrong going on. He began to devise a way of finding out.

…………………………………..

'Check it out!' enthused Abby as she peered into the sealed specimen glass. 'It's awesome, McGee.'

McGee paid the glass a cursory glance and squirmed uncomfortably. He never would understand Abby's enthusiasm for the macabre and gory.

'It certainly is a beauty,' boomed Ducky. 'I have a good mind to get exact measurements so I can check it against a case I read about in a medical journal.'

'Cut it out,' protested Tony, weakly, from the bed. He'd barely regained consciousness before his room had been filled with first the doctor and then Abby, Ziva, Ducky and McGee.

'It appears that the surgeon already did,' said Ziva. Tony rolled his eyes before scanning the room for Gibbs who was nowhere to be seen. Probably gone for decent coffee, he told himself. As if on cue, Gibbs made his entrance, coffee in hand, and scowled at the assembled members of his team.

'I didn't know it was everyone's rostered day off,' he said, dryly.

'Come on, Gibbs!' protested Abby. 'Timmy and Ziva had to make sure Tony's okay. And McGee could not have coped with missing the sight of this gallstone,' she added as she held the glass towards McGee. Abby was pleased to see Tony smile slightly.

'Anthony woke up about an hour ago,' explained Ducky.

Gibbs made eye contact with Tony and acknowledged him with a nod. The younger man was as white as a sheet and looked ready to fall back to sleep at any moment.

'You were incredibly lucky that you were at Gibbs' house already,' Ducky told Tony. 'I doubt you could have driven yourself anywhere or called for help.'

'What if you hadn't been there?' asked Abby, her eyes turning serious.

'Would have dealt with it,' whispered Tony, secretly doubting his own words. The memory of the pain was still fresh.

'Some leggy blonde would have brought him in,' said McGee, but his attempt at humour didn't impress Gibbs.

'Okay, Dinozzo's fine,' said Gibbs, raising his voice. 'McGee, David, there's a stack of cold cases to go through. I'll be back soon to check your progress. Abby, I'm sure you have work to do as well.'

The pair of agents, Abby and Ducky quickly made their exit, but not before Abby had placed a kiss on Tony's cheek, Ziva had given Tony's arm a gentle squeeze, and Ducky had cast a warning look at Gibbs.

'


	3. Chapter 3

'Babysitting

_Hi, sorry about the tardy posting of chapters! We had a few dramas but now all is well. More regular posting has hopefully now resumed, LOL! Thanks for the lovely reviews and PM's so far. Love, Zan._

Chapter 3

Once the door closed behind the team, a hush fell over the room. Gibbs moved to the foot of the bed, cast his eyes over the patient in it and then turned his gaze to Tony's medical chart. He wouldn't have been able to make sense of the doctor's writing if he'd tried, but he did not even attempt to focus on any of the scrawled words. Gibbs was thrown. He felt incredible anger towards his number one field agent, but he didn't quite understand why. Dinozzo hadn't _asked_ to have his gallbladder removed, nor had he asked to get framed for murder, be drugged by a killer, contract the pneumonic plague or get shot in the line of duty. Tony brought none of these things upon himself, yet part of Gibbs wanted to deliver a verbal onslaught that neither of them would ever forget. Gibbs knew that if it was Ziva or McGee in the hospital bed, his reaction wouldn't be like this. Tony somehow managed to elicit conflicted and intense feelings within Gibbs that other agents did not.

From Tony's perspective, a long, uncomfortable silence had fallen on the room since the team had left. He knew that Gibbs was still in the room but he was out of his limited field of vision. Tony finally summoned the courage to lift his head slightly to see what his Boss was doing. He was puzzled to see Gibbs staring at the foot of the bed, his face serious. Under other circumstances, it was the kind of expression that would have had Tony scurrying out of the room. This time there was nowhere to go. He had a sudden yearning for Abby to come back. Sinking back onto the pillow, Tony shut his eyes. Maybe if he feigned going back to sleep, scary Gibbs would eventually leave and more benign Gibbs would come visit him in a couple of days. That plan, however, was scuttled by an involuntary cough that caused Tony to give a small groan of pain. Gibbs was immediately at his side.

'Need the Doc?' Gibbs asked, his finger poised over the call button.

'No,' managed Tony, keeping his eyes shut as he worked through the unpleasant sensations the cough had caused. _No, I need you to either lighten up or leave, _he thought. Once the pain had settled, Tony opened his eyes and was shocked to see Gibbs still standing beside the bed, death glare directed right at him.

'What?' he demanded, his own voice sounding strangely weak to his own ears. Damn the anesthetic! It always played havoc with him.

'What if you _**weren't**_ at my place?' demanded Gibbs, angrily. 'What if you were watching a movie at your apartment by yourself? What if it had happened while you were asleep in bed? What if you were out at some bar in a drunken crowd?'

'Come on,' protested Tony as vehemently as he could. 'I can take care of myself, Boss.'

'No you can't!' snapped Gibbs. 'It's not enough you have a dangerous job, Dinozzo. You put yourself at risk by not knowing enough about your own damn medical history!'

Before Tony could articulate any kind of reply, the door opened to reveal a familiar face.

'Can't keep out of here, can you Tony,' commented Dr Brad Pitt as he entered the room. 'Although I am slightly confused,' he added, his eyes twinkling. 'The staff who admitted you last night said that your father accompanied you in the ambulance. I guess they just made an understandable assumption.'

Gibbs, clearly in no mood to explain to the good doctor why the staff hadn't assumed anything, picked up the chart and thrust it towards Brad.

'Give us a summary,' he said. 'In English,' he added.

Brad took the chart and cast a look at Tony in time to see the patient roll his eyes.

'Let's see,' Brad began. 'Surgery was straightforward. Minor infection. Antibiotics as a precaution. Out of here in a few days. Home and taking it easy for a couple of weeks at least.'

'Hear that, Dinozzo?' said Gibbs. 'Don't even think about coming back before you're given the all clear. You even come near the office I'll get security to escort you back home. Speaking of which, you'll be staying with me so I know you won't be doing anything stupid and ripping out your stitches.'

'Well, talking like that, maybe you ARE Tony's father,' commented Brad jovially, unprepared for the glare from Gibbs and the peculiar expression on Tony's face.

'Believe me, he's not,' managed Tony eventually.

'No,' said Gibbs. 'If I was, I would have been able to tell you about the family medical history and maybe you wouldn't even be in that bed!'

'Your point?' asked Tony.

'You should find stuff out about medical problems in your family', Gibbs told him. 'You could have prevented last night from happening.'

_Yeah, like __**you**__ keep regular contact with __**your**__ family,_ thought Tony. _And__** you **__look after __**yourself**__, don't you? And I already know more than enough about the 'medical problems' in my family. And it will be a cold day in Hell before I try and re-establish contact with my father to shoot the breeze about gallstones. _

'Fine,' whispered Tony, shutting his eyes.

'He needs to rest,' Brad told Gibbs, slightly worried by the tension between the two men.

Gibbs seemed as though he was going to say more, but Tony's acquiescence and stopped him in his tracks. He nodded at the doctor.

'Later,' he said to Tony by way of taking his leave as he left the room.

Brad waited a while before speaking quietly.

'He's right, you know,' said Brad. 'You'll need some time to recover from this.'

'Yeah,' was Tony's reply. 'I got that – from Ducky, the Boss and now you.'

'And it's great that Agent Gibbs is going to accommodate you at his own house,' continued Brad. 'Not everyone has a Boss who's prepared to do that.'

Tony sighed as he thought of Gibbs' usual bedside manner, and the fact that he seemed to be particularly pissed at Tony.

'Yeah,' he breathed, sarcastically. 'I'm really lucky.'

………………………………………………………

'What have we got?' barked Gibbs as he entered the bullpen to see McGee tapping furiously at his keypad and Ziva moving the cursor across a map on the plasma.

'How is Tony?' asked Ziva, turning to Gibbs and seeing the epitome of lack of sleep.

'He'll live, now what's happening?' demanded Gibbs.

'Uh, we've had some calls about possible drug dealing in a Somerton neighborhood,' explained McGee.

'We're not the drug squad,' spat Gibbs.

'No, but one of the cars seen in connection with the exchanges is registered to Petty Officer Paul Williams who went AWOL several months ago,' said Ziva.

'So find him,' said Gibbs, tersely as he sat down heavily at his desk and reached for the phone.

'He's disappeared,' said McGee. 'He's not been seen at his last known residence, there's no record of recent bank transactions, and we have no cell phone to trace.'

'We have put out a BOLO on the car,' added Ziva.

'People don't just disappear,' Gibbs told them. 'Stop looking at the plasma and get out in the field.' _Do what Dinozzo would do_ he nearly said, aware of Tony's preference for leg work over geek work.

'Go!' he barked when neither of the agents moved quickly enough.

Once in the elevator, Ziva glanced at McGee.

'This always seems to happen when Tony is sick,' she said, ruefully. 'Gibbs becomes like a bear with a sensitive cranium, yes?'

'As much as Tony annoys the crap out of me when he's here, it's preferable to putting up with Gibbs like this,' agreed McGee in a hushed voice, worried that Gibbs would somehow overhear their conversation. 'And it's bear with a sore head, by the way.'

'Noted,' said Ziva. It was going to be a long few weeks.

'


	4. Chapter 4

Babysitting

Chapter 4

'Well I don't like this any more than you do,' retorted McGee from Gibbs' kitchen table, in response to a muttered 'this sucks'.

'I find that_** really**_ hard to believe, Probie,' returned Tony from the couch. 'How would YOU like being babysat by a co-worker at your Boss's house, without access to your own extensive movie collection?'

'Well I probably _**wouldn't**_ like it,' McGee agreed, cringing slightly at the idea of swapping places with Tony. 'But Gibbs still expects me to do what I do in the office with just this laptop and his crappy internet provider. _**And**_ I'm supposed to 'help' you, whatever that means. Gibbs wasn't exactly specific'.

McGee had arrived at Gibbs' house, armed with his laptop, at 11.00am that morning as per instructions left on his phone earlier in the morning. Gibbs' exact words of greeting had been: 'You're in charge. Work from here. Help him. Don't let him leave,' and then Gibbs was in his car and driving off, leaving McGee to discover Tony on the couch complete with blanket, pillow and access to water. Tony, had explained to McGee that Gibbs had collected him from the hospital and driven him home but had obviously been too tired to say much else because he'd fallen asleep, leaving McGee to set himself up in the kitchen. The 'this sucks' comment had alerted McGee to the fact that Tony had woken.

'Well don't worry about **helping** me,' said Tony with bravado. 'I told Gibbs I can take care of myself.'

'Just don't do anything that's gonna make him more aggravated towards me than he has been the last couple of days,' begged McGee.

'Fun and games?' asked Tony, his curiosity piqued.

'He's been like Oscar the Grouch times ten,' muttered McGee as he fiddled with the cable to try and re-establish the internet connection.

'Mmmmm,' said Tony. 'Complaining about the crappy connections AND likening a superior officer to a hand puppet with an unpleasant nature. I can contribute that to the conversation over diner tonight.'

'You wouldn't!' exclaimed McGee, his eyes round. 'Come on Tony. Don't make it any worse than it is for me!'

'Oh, relax, McWorryWart,' said Tony as he tentatively felt the bandaging around his midsection. 'I'm just entertaining myself. Mind you, I like having something in reserve. Some ammunition, just in case you try to show me up in the office.' _Again _thought Tony, unwilling to let on to McGee that his recent displays at work had slightly wounded him.

McGee, marginally reassured, turned his attention back to his work.

Tony finished his exploration of his stomach and bent his legs beneath the blanket that Gibbs had spread over him once he was settled on the couch. He actually felt quite good. Sure, getting out of the car had hurt, and he had been totally wiped after the journey inside, but now he felt pretty close to normal. He had been well looked after and constantly visited by Abby in the hospital, but he felt relief at being out of there and away from the scrutiny of the medical staff. Tony could think of no reason at all for not getting up and phoning for pizza. He eased his legs off the couch and placed his feet on the floor, without McGee noticing. With a grin, he began to sit up, but the grin quickly disappeared as pain shot across his gut. McGee heard the gasp and was immediately on his feet to see Tony half on and half off the couch, still covered with the blanket.

'What are you doing?' McGee demanded, masking his concern with an exasperated tone.

'Nothing,' grunted Tony, unable to move from his position. He watched McGee hovering over him with an open mouth before succumbing to the inevitable.

'Need some help here,' Tony managed.

McGee babbled something incomprehensible before tentatively moving the blanket aside so he could see how to help the senior agent. Tony's long-sleeved top had risen up to reveal substantial bandaging that McGee couldn't help staring at. Tony said a silent prayer of thanks that there was no blood evident or else he'd have had his arms full of McGee.

'Probie!' protested Tony. 'Get me back onto here.'

McGee carefully eased Tony's long legs back onto the couch and reached for the edge of the top with the intention of covering the bandages.

'_**I**_ can do that!' snapped Tony, swatting McGee's hand away and pulling his top down.

'Sorry,' mumbled McGee. 'Does it hurt?' he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

'No, it tickles,' replied Tony, his voice laced with sarcasm. 'What do YOU think, Mc Duh!'

'Sorry,' repeated McGee, suitably shamefaced. Of course he had no right to ask such a personal and, admittedly, dumb question.

'Stop apologizing,' grumbled Tony, regretting the impact his words had had on McGee who was, after all, only trying to help and hadn't volunteered for this assignment.

'Pass the blanket back, will you?' he asked in a kinder tone. 'It's kinda cold in here when you're not moving much.'

McGee gratefully leapt on the chance to be of use and re-applied the blanket, carefully pulling it up to Tony's shoulders.

'Can I get you anything else?' asked McGee.

'I want pizza,' said Tony. 'Without the extra cheese – doctor's orders. And while we're waiting for that, see if you can find something decent for me to watch.'

'On it,' said McGee, reaching for his cell phone and walking to the wall unit to search for movies.

'And after that I'd like to take a bath ,,,,,,,,,, but I'll need a _lot_ of help' said Tony, carefully watching McGee for a reaction. McGee turned back to Tony with his cell phone in hand and his face ashen.

'Just yanking ya chain, McGee,' Tony assured him.

………………………………………..

Gibb took the call not long after he'd arrived at work. He was already preoccupied with the whole business of signing Tony out and wondering whether McGee was the best person to do the supervision. At the end of the day, McGee was really the only choice because the work he did best – the geek work as Tony referred to it as – was portable. But it also meant that Gibbs was one agent definitely down and a second agent out of the field. He had no idea how he would square it with Jenny, but the only case they were currently dealing with was the AWOL suspected drug dealing petty officer – a case that had presented no leads. So Gibbs felt that he and Ziva and a confined McGee could cope with that one case. Until the call came in, that is.

'Gibbs,' he answered when the phone rang. He listened intently and scowled.

'You did **what**?' he demanded. Ziva looked across from her desk. For sure Tony had done something reprehensible and now McGee was going to suffer the consequences.

'And you waited this long to contact me? That's twenty hours,' he stated, clearly unimpressed. _No_, thought Ziva with some relief. _McGee has not been looking after Tony for that long._

'Well you bring him up here right now,' ordered Gibbs, 'and if your mistake has terrible consequences, I'll make sure the right people know about it.' He slammed down the phone and exhaled loudly. This day could surely not get any worse.

'What is the problem?' Ziva dared to ask. There was only the two of them in the bullpen. If Gibbs decided to chomp off her head for asking, there would at least be no witnesses.

'The problem,' said Gibbs, standing up and beginning to pace, 'is that at 5.00pm last night, a fellow ex-marine – a man I served with – did not return home from work to his 10 year old son. The boy waited an hour and then did what his father had told him to do under those circumstances: contact the police and get them to contact me personally.'

'The boy has no mother,' stated Ziva, wondering where this was going.

'Died a coupla years ago,' explained Gibbs. 'The local LEO's decided NOT to contact me, and instead kept the boy in protective custody all night, insisting that a person isn't technically missing until they've been missing at least twelve hours.'

'And he has not shown up,' said Ziva. 'Perhaps there is a non-sinister explanation.'

'Nope,' insisted Gibbs, meeting her eyes. 'His promise to the boy was to return at 5.00pm. A marine always keeps his promise. We have a new missing person case that's going to take top priority.'

Ziva nodded and then they both turned to the elevator as the 'ding' signaled its arrival. The doors opened to reveal a slight boy in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and jacket. He wore a cap and held a laptop tightly under one arm. As he saw Gibbs, the boy managed a smile and stepped towards him, extending his hand which Gibbs firmly grasped.

'I didn't have your direct number,' he explained. 'I knew you'd take this seriously. My dad just doesn't not turn up like that.'

'It's okay,' Gibbs reassured him, showing none of the frustration and anger Ziva had seen moments before. 'We'll find him.'

Placing his arm across the boy's shoulders, Gibbs led him across to Ziva's desk.

'This is Officer Ziva David,' Gibbs told him. 'She is a highly trained agent and she'll be helping me to find your dad.'

'You may call me Ziva,' she said, immediately feeling protective of the boy.

'And this,' said Gibbs, squeezing the boy's shoulder, 'is Josh O'Connor.'

'


	5. Chapter 5

Babysitting

Chapter 5

Mick O'Connor woke to find himself bound and gagged on a single bed in a small, semi-dark room. The back of his head still throbbed where he had been struck and knocked unconscious. He had started his walk home from work when he had been attacked from behind. He wondered how much time had passed since then. He had no idea whether it was the same evening or the next day. Any concern he might have felt for his own safety was over-ridden by the worry he felt for his son. Josh always walked home from school, let himself in and completed work for school until Mick got home. If it indeed was the next day, Mick hoped Josh had followed their contingency plan. He could always count on Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a fellow marine, to know what to do.

Mick's wonderings were halted by the sudden opening of the door and the arrival of two men, presumably his assailants. One was tall and thin with bad acne and lank, greasy hair. The other was short and nuggety with a 'don't mess with me' expression on his face. It occurred to Mick that they were like opposites in physique and manner. They approached the bed, Slim staying behind Shorty. Slim looked vaguely familiar. Shorty reached forward and roughly ripped off the gag.

'Where are they?' he demanded.

'Where's what?' returned Mick. 'Who are you?'

'I'm asking the questions and you're answering them,' snapped Shorty as he rubbed the knuckles of one hand with the other. 'Where are the pictures you took coupla mornings ago?'

Mick knew what Shorty was referring to. He had taken his son's digital camera to work and used it to snap photographs of the mystery car and exchange of goods. But he hadn't got around to developing them yet. Josh was going to show him how to on the coming weekend. Not that he was about to reveal all of that to Shorty and Slim.

'Quit stalling!' yelled Shorty. 'You don't have 'em on you – we already searched your backpack. But we do know where you live and who you are, so tell us where the pictures are or we'll just have to do a number on your house to find 'em.'

'I don't have them anymore,' said Mick, making it up as he went along. 'I lost the camera, on my way home. Must have dropped it and someone's picked it up.'

'That's crap and you know it,' said Shorty. 'Fine. We'll do this the hard way, but it means you get to be our guest a little longer. It's 1600 now. We'll wait until tonight to trash your house. Once we have the pictures, your stay is over. If we don't find them, I'll have to get a bit more……..creative.'

Mick watched the pair go before feverishly trying to loosen his bonds. He wasn't worried about the house. Material things could be replaced, and Josh would surely be with Jethro by now. But once Skinny and Shorty returned without what they wanted, Mick was going to be put through the ringer. And if they _had_ found the pictures, then he would surely be of no use alive to them anymore.

……………………….

Gibbs drove out of the NCIS car park at slightly less than his usual speed in deference to his young passenger. Once he was on the road, he took out his cell and pressed the speed dial for McGee.

'No I don't have a hands free thingy,' he told Joshua, just in case the kid was a stickler for road rules.

'Dad doesn't either,' said Joshua. 'He probably doesn't even know what that is.'

Gibbs nodded approvingly.

'Special Agent McGee,' came McGee's greeting.

'Status report,' demanded Gibbs. He wanted to know what to expect when he brought the boy through his front door.

'Well,' began McGee, 'Tony wanted pizza for lunch so I got that in minus the extra cheese, and then he wanted a decent DVD which apparently you do not have, and Tony wanted me to go get one from his apartment, but you left specific instructions not to leave him, Boss, so I didn't and then-'

'McGee!' barked Gibbs into the phone, making his young charge jump slightly. 'I want a status report, not his life history! You're starting to sound like Abby.'

'S-sorry Boss,' stammered McGee. 'He settled for Oprah, the nurse came and changed the bandaging, she made him take his med's and then he fell asleep. He's just woken up. He wants to get up but I don't think it's a good idea.'

'What's wrong with you, McGee?' demanded Gibbs. 'He probably needs the head.'

'Okay, I'll try but-'

'No!' snapped Gibbs. 'I'll be there soon. And I'm bringing a guest.' With that, satisfied that the nurse had been and gone and Tony had actually taken the drugs, Gibbs cancelled the connection and put his foot on the accelerator.

'It's kind of a good thing that you're staying at my place,' said Gibbs as he drove. 'One of my agents is staying over as well.'

'Why?' asked Josh, happy to be distracted a little from worrying about his dad.

'Well,' said Gibbs, 'he's just got out of the hospital and he doesn't have anyone at his own place to keep an eye on him. Maybe you can watch him for me.'

'Like babysitting?' ventured Josh.

'Kind of,' laughed Gibbs, imagining how vehemently Tony would object to that description.

'Is he a good agent?' asked Josh.

'He's my best one,' Gibbs told Josh without hesitation. 'He's even saved my life a coupla times. At the moment he's got another agent watching him.'

'The one you just chewed out?' asked Josh.

'That's the one,' said Gibbs, the corners of his mouth turning up in amusement.

Josh turned wide eyes towards Gibbs and nodded solemnly.

'I'll take good care of him, Gibbs,' he promised. 'And that way you can concentrate on finding my dad.'

'We've got a deal,' said Gibbs as he reached across to tousle Josh' hair.

………………………….

Tony looked expectantly towards the door as it opened. His hope that the promised guest would be Abby was dashed when he spied a young boy follow Gibbs inside. McGee hastily stood up from his kitchen chair and stepped towards the pair.

'Special Agent McGee, Special Agent Dinozzo, meet Joshua O'Connor. Joshua's Dad and I go back a long way,' announced Gibbs.

'Nice to meet you Joshua,' said McGee. Tony waved a hello. He noticed the pinched look in the boy's face and Gibbs' hand placed protectively on Joshua's shoulder. This wasn't just a social call.

'You go on up and take a shower,' Gibbs told Joshua. 'You'll find some clothes from last time you and your dad stayed in the bedroom.' Nodding to McGee and Tony, Joshua made his way up the stairs.

'What's the story with the kid?' asked Tony as soon as Josh was out of earshot.

'His Dad's missing,' said Gibbs. 'McGee, get back to the bullpen. Ziva will fill you in. Dinozzo, let's get you to the head and then we'll talk.'

'It's okay. I don't need any help,' protested Tony as McGee hurriedly packed up his equipment.

'Here,' said Gibbs, as though Tony had said nothing. 'Grab hold and I'll pull you up.'

'It's okay Boss. I've got it,' protested Tony.

'Damn it Dinozzo! Just shut the hell up and let me help you. You pop those stitches and you'll bleed all over my couch!' said Gibbs as McGee looked on.

'Shutting up, Boss,' muttered Tony as Gibbs gripped him under the arms and firmly brought him into a sitting position. Next, Gibbs extended his hand for Tony to grasp.

'Slowly,' Gibbs reminded him and Tony tentatively stood up. The sensation was weird after lying down for so young, and he swayed just a little.

'Easy,' said Gibbs as he placed an arm across Tony's shoulders to steady him.

'Ah, I'll be going,' stammered McGee from the doorway. 'Bye Tony.'

'Goodbye McNightingale,' Tony called out as Gibbs led him carefully across the room. 'I'll give you a reading on the Grouch meter in the morning.'

McGee avoided eye-contact with Gibbs and left hurriedly.

After the much appreciated visit to the bathroom, Gibbs helped Tony back to the living room.

'Let me give the chair a try,' Tony begged. 'No offence Boss, but you've got a really boring ceiling.'

Gibbs snorted but led Tony to the kitchen and gently lowered him into a chair.

'You okay?' asked Gibbs, gruffly. Tony had looked pale when he had arrived with Josh, and any colour that he did have had drained from his face as they made the short trip to the bathroom.

'Peachy,' said Tony. 'Boss, what's the story with the kid?'

Gibbs sat down opposite his agent and leaned towards him, just in case Josh was listening.

'His father always arrives home at 1700 hours every week night, without fail,' he explained. 'Last night he didn't come home. He's still not back. Totally out of character.'

'Wife?' asked Tony.

'Died coupla years ago,' Gibbs explained.

Tony ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

'That's tough,' he commented. 'No siblings?'

Gibbs shook his head.

'His father works at a gym in the Somerton area,' explained Gibbs. 'It's the same area we've had reports of possible drug dealing by an AWOL petty officer.'

'That's a pretty big coincidence, Boss,' said Dinozzo. 'And I know how you feel about coincidences. Do you think Josh's father is somehow involved?'

'I don't know what to think,' said Gibbs. 'All I know is that Mick O'Connor would never willingly leave Josh. The boy's all he's got. I'm gonna leave Josh here with you until we find Mick. You can watch him for me.'

'Boss, I don't exactly have a great track record with kids,' said Tony. 'Wouldn't he be better off with Abby?'

I don't want him at NCIS during the investigation,' Gibbs told him. 'And I want someone looking after him that I can trust.'

Tony knew he'd been played. He knew that he was in no position to look after anyone, least of all a kid he didn't even know, but he was touched by Gibbs' attempt to put a different spin on the situation. Besides, Gibbs didn't seem half as angry with him as he had been lately, and he didn't want to risk the return of the anger if he protested too much about being babysat by a ten year old.

'Okay,' agreed Tony. 'But I'm not playing twister and I have full control over the TV remote.'


	6. Chapter 6

Baby sitting Chapter 6

Gibbs had already started organizing soup and toast for dinner when Josh came downstairs in clean clothes and damp hair. The boy hovered by the doorway until Gibbs spied him out of the corner of his eye.

'Take a seat,' he told Josh. 'Dinner's nearly ready.

'Not really hungry,' said Josh, even as he obediently sat down across from Tony.

'Wrong answer,' hissed Tony, theatrically. 'That's what I said and he gave me a smack to the back of the head. Can you believe that? I've only just got out of hospital.'

'My Dad does that to me when I say something that he doesn't like,' said Josh, wistfully. 'Not hard,' he hastened to add. 'Just enough to knock some sense into me. I kind of like it, in a weird sorta way.'

Tony looked from Josh to Gibbs and back to Josh again. He wouldn't have put it past Gibbs to bribe the kid to make that kind of statement, but Josh seemed totally sincere and Gibbs didn't even blink.

'Dig in,' said Gibbs as he placed steaming bowls of hearty soup in front of Josh and Tony. He then retrieved a plate of hot toast and a bowl for himself and sat down at the table. When Josh made no move to start eating, Gibbs gave Tony a pointed look and gestured towards the spoon. Interpreting the look accurately, Tony took up his spoon and began eating. Not long after, Josh did the same.

'So,' said Tony between spoonfuls, 'your Dad's a marine.'

'Was,' Josh corrected him. 'He stopped doing that a coupla years ago. He works at a gym now.'

'Uh-huh,' acknowledged Tony, before sampling the toast. He looked across at Gibbs who was munching contently on a slice of toast. Tony knew Gibbs well enough to not expect the older agent to make conversation, but he wished he would. Tony wasn't exactly comfortable making small talk with a kid.

'What about _**your**_ Dad?' asked Josh. 'Is he a special agent too?'

Tony nearly choked on his food. Gibbs looked up, his eyebrows raised.

"My father……..is a business man,' Tony eventually managed, and Gibbs turned his attention back to his soup.

'My mum died when I was 8,' continued Josh, stirring his soup and watching the patterns he was creating. 'There's just me and my Dad left now. Have you got any brothers or sisters, Agent Dinozzo?'

'Nope,' said Tony. 'But Agent McGee's like a nerdy, annoying little brother without even being blood-related.'

'He was the one Gibbs was chewing out on the phone on the way here,' said Josh. 'I guess Gibbs must find him annoying as well.'

Tony's face split into a wide grin.

'So it seems,' he agreed. 'And it's Tony, by the way. My friends call me Tony.'

Satisfied that Tony and Josh had something in common, even if it was just the fact that they were both only children and shared contempt for McGee, Gibbs felt a lot more relaxed about possibly leaving the two of them alone together the next day. Under normal circumstances, Tony didn't click with kids. He usually tried too hard, particularly in front of the team. But these weren't normal circumstances and Josh wasn't a typical 10 kid. He'd already lost his mother and had had to grow up fast. Gibbs also knew that Tony has lost his own mother at a tender age. He would surely feel some empathy towards the boy.

Gibbs halted his reverie and tuned back into the conversation between his senior field agent and friend's young son.

'And his fingers were so stuck to the keyboard that he had to follow us into the elevator with it,' Tony was telling Josh, complete with an imitation of McGee at the time.

'How did you know he was gonna touch it as soon as he came in?' asked Josh, his eyes wide. He was hanging on Tony's every word.

'He's McGee,' said Tony by way of explanation. 'He can't function without the technology. He's obsessed.'

'My Dad can't even turn on a computer,' revealed Josh. 'He'd think McGee was from another planet.'

'Why don't you two go into the living room,' suggested Gibbs. 'Dinozzo, you need to stretch out again.'

'Have you got any more stories about McGee?' asked Josh as he watched Gibbs help Tony stand up and lead him towards the couch.

'Are you kidding?' was Tony's reply. 'I could write a book, except that Mc Typewriter already has.'

By the time Gibbs had cleared the dishes, made up the two spare beds in the guest room and locked up (something he thought was advisable given who his guests were), he went into the living room to find Josh asleep in the chair.

'Nodded off right in the middle of McGee running through the car wash,' reported Tony in a hushed voice. 'It's okay, though. I'll finish telling him the story in the morning.'

Gibbs snorted his disapproval, but he couldn't really be angry. After all, Josh had been thoroughly entertained and distracted, and Tony had been particularly animated. Gibbs gathered Josh in his arms, took him upstairs and put him to bed. Coming back down to the living room, he found Tony staring at the ceiling.

'He's a good kid,' said Tony, his voice low. 'Think you'll find his old man?'

'I'm not giving up til I do,' Gibbs told him, extending his hand. 'Come on. Bed time for you too.'

'I can sleep here,' protested Tony.

'You can,' agreed Gibbs, 'but you're not going to. The bed's warmer and better for your back.'

'You're the boss,' relented Tony, allowing himself to be helped up.

……………………………………………

It was after 1.00am when Gibbs finally made his way up from the basement and went straight into his own bedroom. His mind had been swimming with questions about Mick's disappearance and images of the last few days. As it usually did, sanding the boat had helped.

Gibbs had only settled himself beneath the blankets for a few moments before unbidden into his mind came memories of the last time Tony had slept over. Waking to the sight of the younger man curled up in pain beside his bed had shocked Gibbs. He didn't think he'd ever quite forget it. The concern he had felt for Tony during the dash to the hospital had startled him.

With a sigh, Gibbs left his bed, quickly walked to the guest room and quietly opened the door. Josh hadn't moved since Gibbs had placed him in the bed. He'd obviously had very little sleep during the previous night in protective custody. Tony, to Gibbs' intense relief, was sleeping peacefully with one arm framing his head and the other atop the blankets. The fact that the bed was about a foot too short and caused Tony's feet to stick out over the end made Gibbs smile. Maybe Tony had been right about preferring the couch! Peering at Tony's face from the doorway, Gibbs' smile faded as he recalled how the medics had assumed Tony was his son, and how he hadn't said anything to correct them. Gibbs doubted he'd ever feel comfortable bringing it up with Tony, and Tony, it seemed, had tactfully chosen not to mention anything about it.

Leaving the door ajar, just in case either of them needed him, Gibbs returned to his own room.

…………………………………………

Finally Mick O'Connor was free of the bonds that had held him. He had heard Slim and Shorty leave some time ago. He knew he didn't have much time. Rushing to the window as fast as his numb legs would allow, he pushed aside the curtain. It was night outside. Looking downwards, he saw strange, glittering movements. Puzzled, he pushed open the small window and tentatively put his head through the opening. Below him was water. He was on a vessel. Suddenly, escape, and a reunion with his son, seemed to be a much more daunting prospect than it had a few moments before.


	7. Chapter 7

BABYSITTING CHAPTER 7

_One or two chapters to go after this one, folks. Thanks for your fine reviews and encouragement. Much appreciated._

Slim looked without touching anything unnecessarily, but his partner left a trail of destruction in his wake as they searched for the evidence that could incriminate them. He hauled cushions from chairs, pushed the couch over and knocked framed photographs from the mantle. The pair systematically went through each room in the O'Connor house to no avail.

'Wonder where the kid is,' mused Slim as they stood in the doorways of what was obviously a child's bedroom.

'Probably with a relative,' snarled Shorty. 'Who cares! Come on. It'll be dawn soon. We've got business to take care of.'

The two men left the house under the cover of the remaining darkness and made their way back to their hideout.

…………………………….

Mick had barely made it into the water when he caught sight of the approaching headlights along the wharf. He drew himself as close to the side of the barge as he could and waited, shivering, for his captors to realize he had escaped. Eventually, a loud burst of swearing signaled the discovery and, soon after, beams of torchlight shot into the water. Mick tilted his head so that only his nose and forehead were above the water's surface. After some time, the pair had obviously called off their search, but they remained inside the barge. Unwilling to risk a swim to the wharf, all Mick could do was wait.

……………………………

'Don't worry about us,' Tony told Gibbs as he and Josh sat at the breakfast table. 'Josh is gonna teach me some of the games he's got on his laptop. We don't need McGee here looking over our shoulders and telling us how we'd get better resolution if we tweaked this and fiddled with that. Did I tell you, Josh, that McGee is also known as Elf Lord on line?'

'Just make sure you keep resting,' said Gibbs sternly, ignoring the look of incredulity on Josh's face. 'Josh, I'll be asking you for a full report when I get back with lunch.'

'Yes sir!' replied Josh, giving a mock salute.

'Hey!' protested Tony, pretending to be hurt. 'Whose side are you on?'

'Well, Gibbs IS the senior agent,' explained Josh, but the smile that split his face was so much better than the depressed look he had worn when he had woken that morning, that Tony let it go.

'I mean it, Dinozzo,' added Gibbs as he walked to the door and opened it 'You do anything to pop those stitches and you'll be looking for another job.' With that, he left. He had already arranged with Ziva and McGee to meet him at the O'Connor household. The local LEO's had supposedly looked the place over, but Gibbs wanted his own team on it.

'He's all charm,' muttered Tony.

'He doesn't really mean it,' said Josh as he fired up his laptop. 'My Dad says stuff like that all the time. It just means he's really worried. It's probably a marine thing.'

Tony considered the boy's words for a few moments. If what he said was true, then Gibbs must be worried about him 24/7.

'He wouldn't let you quit,' continued Josh, his voice confident. 'You're his best agent. He told me so.'

'He_** told**_ you that?' asked Tony. 'He's sure got a funny way of showing it sometimes.'

'I told you. It's a marine thing,' said Josh. 'It's like my Dad says: if he didn't care about me, he wouldn't give a damn about what I did. He wouldn't bother wasting his breath telling me off about something.'

'So, you're telling me that the more pissed off Gibbs is with me and the more he threatens to have me excommunicated from NCIS, the more he cares,' said Tony, his tone dubious.

'Exactly,' said Josh.

Tony sat back and contemplated Josh's theory. He thought of his own childhood and his relationship with his own father who rarely had time to even acknowledge Tony's presence – let alone chew him out about something. Maybe the kid's theory had some weight.

Feeling Josh's gaze upon him, Tony looked at the boy and smiled.

'What's up?' he asked Josh.

'Wanna see some pictures?' he asked shyly. 'Of my dad?'

Tony tentatively reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, in much the same way as he'd seen Gibbs do to other kids.

'Sure,' he told him, strangely pleased with the bond they had formed. Josh clicked on an icon and a picture of a clean-cut man with sandy hair and blue eyes stared out at them from the screen.

'That's him,' said Josh, and there was no mistaking the admiration the boy had for his father. Tony could only guess at how that might feel.

'You've got the same nose,' Tony commented.

'I got my brown eyes and brown hair from my mum,' said Josh. He tapped a couple of keys and suddenly an attractive woman with kind eyes filled the screen.

'Wow,' said Tony, softly. 'She's beautiful.'

'Yeah,' agreed Josh. 'This picture was taken just before she got sick.'

'What did she die of?' Tony gently asked. Under different circumstances and with a different kid, he never would have asked such a personal question, but it seemed like Josh needed to talk. Hell, the kid seemed to have a more mature perspective than Tony did.

'She had a brain tumor,' Josh told him, passing his hand across the screen. 'My aunt had one too, but she survived because she had a scan and they caught it in time. That's one of the things my dad is real strict about with me. He wants me to have regular scans. He's a real pain in the butt about it, but it's okay. I know he's just scared that he'll lose me too.'

Tony stared at Josh for a moment, remembering a conversation he'd had in the hospital with an angry and pissed off Gibbs. At the time, Tony had decided that Gibbs was out of line and unreasonable. Perhaps there was another explanation. His epiphany, however, was interrupted by Josh.

'Hey, I'd almost forgotten about these ones,' the boy said, clicking on another icon.

Expecting to see another picture of the boy's family, Tony was puzzled to see a picture of two men: one very skinny and one shorter and stout. The skinny one was looking directly at the camera.

'These are from my Dad's camera,' Josh explained. 'He took them at work a couple of days ago and asked me to get them developed. He has no idea how to print off digital photo's. I transferred them from the memory card, and cleared the card, but I hadn't had time to print them yet.'

'Have you seen these guys before?' asked Tony. Josh shook his head.

Tony was about to ring Gibbs, just in case there was a link between the photographs and the disappearance of Mick O'Connell when the doorbell heralded the arrival of the nurse. If it had been the same killjoy nurse who had turned up the day before, there would be no stalling her. The phone call would have to wait. Besides, Gibbs would be back in a few hours at the most.

……………………………………………..

Just as it seemed to Mick that he was about to lose all feeling in his limbs due to the cold, Slim and Shorty left the barge in a small row boat and headed for the wharf. They were talking – or, rather, Shorty was talking at Slim – and Mick strained his ears to catch what was being said.

'Might have gone back to his house,' snarled Shorty. 'We'll go there and try to catch him springing the pictures. If he's not there, we'll have to shoot through, but that's the last resort. I'm not giving up this patch without a fight.'

Mick watched as the two men tied up the boat and walked to their car. Aware that it might be a trap, and concerned that the men might double back to get something they'd forgotten, Mick decided to count to five hundred. After that, he'd be on is way to the one person he knew would know what to do.

…………………………………………….

Gibbs was met by McGee and Ziva as he got out of the car at the O'Connor house. He also noticed a squad car and two uniformed officers talking to an elderly woman in a floral apron. Gibbs recognised the woman as Florence Danvers, a long time neighbour of the O'Connors'.

'Boss, the house was broken into last night,' explained McGee. 'The neighbour came to visit, let herself in and then came straight out when she realized something was wrong.'

Gibbs scowled and went to approach the two officers and Florence. By his time, a small crowd had gathered, curious about the presence of the police car, two other unfamiliar cars and the non-appearance of Mick or his son.

'Jethro!' exclaimed Florence, extending her hand in greeting. 'What on earth is going on? Where are Mick and Joshua?'

'Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS,' said Gibbs, producing his badge for the benefit of the two officers before shaking the woman's hand.

'Everything's fine,' he told her. 'I'm looking after Josh. Mick's gone off the radar for a while but we'll find him.'

'Oh my goodness!' exclaimed Florence. 'And now someone has broken into their home! How awful! I saw Joshua leaving with a policeman yesterday evening. The poor boy had nothing but his laptop. It made me wonder what was going on.'

'Everything's fine,' Gibbs told her. 'As soon as we know Mick is safe, we'll contact you. Now, my team and I are going to take a look inside.'

As Gibbs turned on his heel and entered the house with McGee and Ziva, the small crowd remained, apart from two men wearing hoods who had stood at the back of the crowd listening intently to every word that was being said.

'Hear that?' demanded Shorty as they quickly walked back to where they had left the car. 'The kid had a laptop.'

Slim looked at his partner, quizzically.

'You idiot!' snapped Shorty. 'The kid had a laptop. People store photo's on laptops. We get the kid. We get the laptop. We get the photo's.'

'But how will we find the kid?' asked Slim.

Shorty reached into his pocket and withdrew the wallet he had taken from Mick. With a flourish, he took out a card with a name and number printed on one side, and a handwritten, scribbled address on the other.

'Simple,' said Shorty. 'We go visit him at Uncle Jethro's.'


	8. Chapter 8

BABYSITTING

CHAPTER 8

'You're sure gonna have a big scar!' exclaimed Josh once the nurse had left. He had remained silent during the nurse's visit, but had observed the re-dressing of Tony's wound from the doorway.

'It's not that bad,' said Tony as he stretched out his legs and put his feet on the coffee table. 'Doc said it'll fade to a thin line eventually.'

'Doesn't it hurt?' asked Josh. He had seen the man suck in his breath as the nurse had investigated the stitching.

'Not as much as THIS did,' announced Tony as he tugged on his sweatpants to reveal a small, round scar on the inside of his lower leg, just above the ankle bone.

'But it's really small,' said Josh, sitting down next to Tony and peering at the mark. 'What happened? Did you get shot?'

'I was about your age,' began Tony. 'I was riding my bike, without shoes. My mother had this thing about me not riding my bike without anything on my feet, but of course I knew better. I took a ride and then managed to get the metal kick-stand stuck right in there. I managed to pull it out, but it hurt like hell.'

'Did you get stitches?' asked Josh, shuddering at the pictures that Tony's story was generating in his mind.

'Didn't even go to the doc,' Tony informed him. 'I wrapped it up myself. There was no way I was going to tell anyone about it. I would have only got into trouble for riding bare foot in the first place. You got any scars?'

'Cut myself with a Stanley knife,' said Josh, proudly holding out his thumb. 'Three stitches.'

Tony took a closer look at the small scar and nodded his head.

'Now that's something a girl's gonna ask about one day,' he told Josh, making the boy laugh. 'Great conversation starter. Women are suckers for scars.'

Tony was glad that the worried look that Josh had worn while the nurse had been there had disappeared. The kid had enough to worry about without being concerned about Tony.

'Hey, Josh,' he said lightly. 'Fire up your laptop and let's try emailing to McGee those pictures your dad took. There's a connection point over there beneath the desk.'

Josh did as Tony had suggested but shook his head when he was unable to complete the task.

'Can't get the internet,' he explained to Tony.

'Damn,' was Tony's response. 'McGee couldn't get it working yesterday either. I don't know how Gibbs manages to function.'

'McGeek must have nearly imploded,' laughed Josh, and Tony felt a rush of pride and delight.

And that's when Tony's keen senses, developed over years of working as an investigative agent, told him that things were not right. In his peripheral vision, Tony saw a figure pass by the living room window. Too big to be a domestic pet; definitely a person. Someone was in Gibbs' back yard and had been looking in the window– someone who had no business being there.

'Josh,' he said quietly to the boy. 'I want you to run quickly to Gibbs' room and get his gun from his bedside drawer, and then come straight back to me.'

'You..you want me to get Gibbs' weapon? Why?' asked Josh, all traces of laughter gone.

'Just get it,' Tony told him. 'I think we might be about to have some unwelcome company. Go.'

Josh was up and down the stairs quicker than he'd ever been before. He found Tony standing up, holding on to the arm of the couch for support. Unbeknown the Josh, Tony had picked up the landline to ring Gibbs, only to discover that the line was dead.

'Come on,' whispered Tony, taking the gun and placing it inside the sleeve of his sweater. 'Grab your lap top. We're gonna go take a look at Gibbs' latest boat.'

…………………………………………….

Gibbs was annoyed. Whoever had trashed Mick's house had clearly been looking for something, but they had no clue as to what. All they had was a bunch of fingerprints that had to be processed asap. Not trusting McGee or Ziva to put enough pressure on Abby to put the prints on the top of her list, he had decided to swing by NCIS and tell her in person. After that his plan was to pick up some lunch and go check on Dinozzo and Josh. As he drove into the NCIS car park, his phone rang.

'Ziva, what?' he barked into the phone as he got out of the car.

'Gibbs, you need to hurry,' said Ziva.

'Where are you?' demanded Gibbs, standing still. They had both left Mick's house at the same time.

'I am in the bullpen,' said Ziva. 'You have a visitor.'

Gob smacked once again by the Israeli's driving speed, Gibbs quickened his pace and made his way into the building. When the elevator doors opened at the team's floor, Gibbs face broke into a smile. He was standing face to face with Mick O'Connor.

……………………………………………………….

Tony felt every step down into the basement as a painful jolt into his midsection, but kept his discomfort to himself. Josh had shut the door behind him and was following closely. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Tony paused and shut his eyes. Beads of perspiration had formed across his forehead and his heart was hammering in his chest. He really needed to sit down, but his own health was not his top priority at that moment.

'You okay, Tony?' Josh whispered.

'Yeah,' Tony replied quickly. 'My eyes were just adjusting to the light. Let's go.'

Tony led the way into the depth of the basement and around the eerie skeleton that was Gibbs' latest project before stopping in the darkest corner.

'Let's get in there,' Tony whispered, pointing to a small recess beneath a low bench. Reaching behind him for Josh's hand, Tony couldn't help but notice that the boy was trembling.

'Don't worry,' he whispered, giving his hand a squeeze. 'It'll be cosy. I have to warn you, however, that it's been a while since I've had a proper bath.'

Josh giggled despite his trepidation and allowed the special agent to lead him gently towards the recess. He scurried in and placed the laptop at the back against the wall. Tony dropped to his hands and knees and remained there for a few moments, fighting the urge to pass out, until he crawled in beside Josh. With his remaining strength, Tony reached out and pulled a piece of tarp over the pair of them. That done, he placed Gibbs' gun in his hand and waited.

………………………………………………….

'Jethro,' said Mick by way of greeting as the two men gripped each others hand. 'You got Josh? Tell me you've got Josh.'

'He's at my place,' Gibbs assured him. 'He's with one of my agents.'

Gibbs took in Mick's wet, filthy hair, damp clothes and wild look.

'Mick, what happened?'

'Two guys jumped me,' Mick explained. 'Took me to their boat and tried to make me tell them where the photographs I took of them are.'

'Photographs?' repeated Gibbs, raising his eyebrows.

'I took some of a couple of guys behaving suspiciously outside the gym I work at,' explained Mick. 'Seemed they took exception.'

'Let me get this stuff to Abby,' said Gibbs, holding up the evidence bag. 'And then I'll get you to Josh. Sit at my desk and ring him.'

Before Gibbs managed to get back to the elevator, he was stopped by a shout of surprise from Mick. Turning back, he saw his friend pointing to the plasma that still showed the picture of the AWOL Petty Officer Paul Williams.

'That's Slim,' said Mick. 'He's one of the guys that jumped me.'

'What did you do with the photographs?' asked McGee.

'I don't know where they are,' said Mick, a look of exasperation on his face. 'I got one of those newfangled cameras as a gift. Hasn't got any damn film – just this flat chip thing. I gave it to Josh to sort it out.'

'Boss,' said McGee, his face turning ashen. 'If those two guys were looking for the photographs at the O'Connor house and couldn't find them, there's only one place they'll be.'

'Spit it out, McGee!' bellowed Gibbs, all patience gone.

'They'll be on Josh's laptop,' said McGee. 'He's got it with him, at your house.'

Gibbs quickly rang his house but was met with the signal that told him the phone was not currently connected.

Terminating the call and speed dialing Tony's cell, his face grew red with frustration when he heard the recorded message that the phone was out of range or switched off.

'David, McGee, let's go!' he shouted. 'Mick, you're with me.'

As the four made their way to the cars at break-neck speed, Gibbs's brain kept trying to tell him that Josh and Tony were both fine. The only problem was that his gut was telling him otherwise.

………………………………..

Jeffrey Wilson, drug dealer AKA Shorty, cast his eyes over the living room. The house appeared to be empty, but he had seen the man and the young boy in this very room from his vantage point outside the window. Jeffrey saw the packets of new bandages on the coffee table and the pillows piled down one end of the couch. It didn't take a genius to work out that the man must be injured in some way, which was just as well because Jeffrey was a man of considerable greed and aggression but not a great deal of empathy or intellect. Jeffrey smiled evilly and gestured to Paul Williams, AKA Slim.

'They're still here and they're not gonna put up any fight,' Jeffrey told Paul.

'There's a basement, but the door's locked,' Paul told him.

'Well I guess that's where they must be,' purred Jeffrey, withdrawing his gun from his belt. 'Let's go play hide and seek.'

…………………………………………

In their hiding spot, Tony and Josh could both hear heavy footsteps on the floorboards above them.

'I'm scared,' whispered Josh, and Tony couldn't blame him. He wasn't overly relaxed about the situation either, and if he was in Josh's situation he'd be petrified. He managed to maneuver his arm so that he could place it across Josh's shoulders. Tony was surprised when Josh wrapped both arms around him and nuzzled his head against Tony's chest.

'It's okay,' Tony whispered, not believing his own words. 'I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you.'


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

_Final chapter, folks! Even though the conclusion won't suit everyone, it's the way the story came to me, LOL! Thanks for all the lovely feedback and PM's. I'm glad people like Josh O'Connor. Love, Zan_

Gibbs tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the car sped through the streets towards his home. Mick was in the passenger seat, still wet and grimy from his ordeal. In the rear vision mirror Gibbs could see Ziva and McGee in the car behind. It spoke volumes as to the potential seriousness of the situation that Ziva had been able to overtake him.

Gibbs felt sick to his stomach at the thought that one of his agents and a young boy were in danger in his house. He could only imagine how frightened Josh would be, knowing he was in peril while his father was still missing. Tony was in no shape to defend himself, let alone protect a child from two grown, and probably armed, men. He kept thinking about the assistance he needed to give Tony that morning, simply to get the man out of bed. In fact, if Gibbs had been asked who he was most worried about, he'd be hard pressed to answer, particularly in front of the man sitting beside him.

'You seem pretty concerned, Jethro,' said Mick as he glanced sideways at his friend. 'Didn't you say one of your agents is with Josh.'

'He's my best agent,' Gibbs told him, grimly. 'But he's recuperating from surgery. He's not technically on the clock or fit for duty.'

'So it's Tony,' said Mick. 'I'm sure they're both fine.'

Gibbs didn't know whether Mick was trying to convince himself or Gibbs.

……………………………………..

Tony kept Gibbs' gun pointed at the tarpaulin that was shielding them and hoped to God that he wouldn't need it. His face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Aware of the quivering boy who was still wrapped around him, Tony knew Josh was wishing his dad was there. Tony found himself desperately wishing that _Gibbs_ was there. Under normal circumstances, he'd have this situation in the bag, but he was feeling faint and his gut hurt where Josh clung on to him. He was sure he'd ripped a stitch. Gibbs was going to be totally pissed.

Suddenly, a loud noise made them both jump in their small, enclosed space. The door to the basement had been kicked in. Pieces of splintered wood came crashing down the stairs. If it were even possible, Tony felt the boy hold him more tightly.

'I've got you,' he dared to whisper. The last thing they needed was for Josh to cry out and give away their position. He wondered when help would arrive. He wondered if Gibbs even knew they were in danger. He wondered how long it would be before he passed out.

………………………………….

Jeffrey and Paul scanned the dark basement, lit only by the light coming from the hallway above. Jeffrey knew they were down there. It was now just a matter of time before they flushed them out.

'Hey!' called Jeffrey. 'Kid! You'd better come out. We can take you to your old man!'

Tony felt Josh move slightly but the boy didn't make a sound. Both Josh and Tony knew that there was no way they could trust these strangers – no matter what they said.

'Come on!' yelled Jeffrey. 'You both know you're sitting ducks. We're gonna search every inch of this basement until we find you.'

Tony allowed himself the luxury of closing his eyes for a moment. If this all came down to him against the two men, he'd fight, but he had to mentally gather his strength first. He could feel the perspiration dripping down his front. In fact it was kind of like a Die Hard movie, except that he had far more hair than Bruce Willis. Damn, he hated having a movie reference in his head when there was no-one there to share it with.

'Okay!' yelled Jeffrey. 'We're done waiting. I'm gonna start shooting after I've counted to ten. You don't come out by the time I get to ten, look out!'

As Jeffrey began to count, Tony drew himself as close to the wall at the back of the recess as he could, making sure that Josh's small body was shielded by his. His shaking hand still held the gun in the air. And then the counting stopped and the shots began.

………………………………………..

Gibbs, closely flowed by Mick, Ziva and McGee, crashed through the front door, just as the terrible sounds of gunshots began.

'Basement!' he yelled as he led the way, surprised by the way Ziva pushed her way to the front.

One moment Gibbs was aware of Ziva standing at the top of the basement stairs. The Mossad/NCIS agent seemed to pause, and then suddenly she was airborne. As Gibbs took her place, he looked down to see her land on and take down the shooter. Using the fact that her attack has stunned the other man, AWOL Petty Officer Paul Williams, Gibbs quickly raced down the stairs and pulled his arms behind his back. With the arrival of McGee, Gibbs pushed the cuffed man over to him before taking a swing at Ziva's target as she was pulling him to his feet. His fist connected with Jeffrey's chin with a resounding thwack and he hit the floor again. Gibbs was so incensed that the man had invaded his house and may well have hurt people that he cared about.

'Get 'em out of my sight!' Gibbs growled as he began scanning the room for Tony and Josh.

'Josh!' yelled Mick, peering into the darkness.

'Hit the damn lights!' yelled Gibbs. McGee obliged as he reached the top of the stairs with Slim in tow.

'Here,' came a croak from the dark recess beneath one of Gibbs' work benches. Gibbs rushed forward and ripped away the tarpaulin. Reaching forward, he found Josh's arm and gently pulled him out. White-faced, Josh looked beyond Gibbs to where Mick was standing. Father and son rushed towards each other. Josh was wrapped in a warm embrace and hauled off the floor into loving arms.

Still in their hiding place, Tony felt oddly bereft, despite his relief and despite the physical pain he was feeling.

'You okay in there, Dinozzo?' asked Gibbs, squatting down so that he could get a good look at Tony.

'Jethro,' said Mick, before Tony could answer. 'Take a look.'

Gibbs turned to see Mick gesturing towards what looked like a great deal of blood on the front of Josh's clothes.

'It's not his,' explained Mick, his eyes full of concern.

Gibbs looked anxiously back at his agent. Surely Dinozzo hadn't been shot!

'Sorry Boss,' said Tony, 'but I think I pulled a stitch.'

Gibbs gently helped Tony him out and up into a standing position. He saw the blood seeping through the front of Tony's top and shook his head. The younger man was ashen faced and looked ready to collapse. In bad shape to begin with, Gibbs could see that his number one field agent had given everything he had to protect Josh, and would have given even more if it had come to that. Disguising it as preventing Tony from falling over, Gibbs wrapped Tony into a fierce embrace, suddenly overwhelmed that he was okay.

'I'm good, Boss,' said Tony, feebly trying to resist.

'I'm just making sure you don't fall over and smash my boat,' said Gibbs. He felt Tony relax in arms and heard him sigh.

'No offence, Boss,' said Tony. 'But I reckon I'd be safer at work.'

'Shut up, Dinozzo,' growled Gibbs, rubbing Tony's hair affectionately.

'You want me to call an ambulance?' asked Mick, eager to do anything to help Josh's protector, his arm still across his son's shoulders.

'Nah, I'll organize a home visit for now,' said Gibbs, knowing the last thing Tony would want would be a trip back into hospital. 'Come on, Tony. Let's get you upstairs.'

Mick was on hand to help, but it was clear on the way up the basement stairs that Gibbs had it covered. Mick understood. If it had been Josh who had been hurt, Mick would have insisted on carrying him out of there single-handed. Josh hurriedly followed his new friend, Gibbs and his dad, but not before retrieving the laptop.

……………………………

Two weeks later, the 'ding' of the elevator announced the arrival of two special visitors to NCIS. While Mick O'Connor hung back, Josh rushed straight up to Tony's desk.

'Hey Josh!' exclaimed Tony, putting his paperwork aside. 'How're you doing?'

'Okay,' replied Josh. 'Is your gut better?' Ziva looked across from her own desk and raised her eyebrows at the blunt question.'

'Oh yeah,' Tony told him. 'Sorry about bleeding all over you and all.'

'Hey, it's not like you could help it,' protested Josh.

'I got the bandages off,' Tony told him. 'Wanna see?'

Ziva shook her head in disgust and returned her gaze to her computer as Josh moved enthusiastically to Tony's side of the desk.

Gibbs came up the stairs and moved to stand next to Mick who was smiling at the interaction between Tony and his son.

'How are things?' Gibbs asked Mick as they continued to watch Josh's close inspection of the healing wound.

'Fine,' said Mick. 'Thanks to you. And to Tony. I think he's become just about Josh's favourite person.'

'He's a good man,' Gibbs said with a great deal of pride. 'A really good man.'

Later that day, the team had gone except for Gibbs and Tony. Tony was back at work, but only on the condition that Gibbs drove him to and from the office. Gibbs walked to Tony's desk and saw that the agent was looking at a hand-made card. As Gibbs sat down on the edge of the desk, Tony looked up, his green eyes particularly bright.

'From Josh,' he explained. 'He made me a Thank You card as a present, and he wants to go see a movie with me.'

'That's real nice,' said Gibbs quietly.

'He's a great kid,' said Tony.

_So are you, Tony _was on the tip of Gibb's tongue, but it wasn't really his place to say. He wasn't Tony's father, and Tony wasn't the result of any parenting from him. Hell, he'd even been out of line giving him a hard time about not knowing his medical history. That was Tony's business. How could Gibbs justify telling a 30-something man how to live his life?

'You did a great job under difficult circumstances,' Gibbs told Tony, loving the way Tony's face gave away how much he appreciated Gibbs saying that. 'In fact, the Director's talking about a commendation.'

Tony smiled but then held the card up in his hand.

'What's written in here is better than a commendation,' Tony told his boss, causing Gibbs' heart to once again swell with pride.

Tony spent a little more time looking at the card before standing it up on the corner of the desk. That done, he carefully stood up and opened his filing cabinet's top drawer.

'Speaking of presents,' he told Gibbs, 'I got Ducky to help me get one for you. It's to kind of thank you for looking after me after the hospital and … you know… that night.'

Tony took out two folders and passed them to Gibbs.

'I've taken a look, and I'm happy for you – and only you – to read them as well,' said Tony. 'I've gotta go to the head, and then I'll be ready to go.'

As Tony strolled out of the office, Gibbs looked down at the folders and swallowed the lump in his throat. Tony trusted him with copies of the medical histories his mother and father.

'You're a great kid too, Dinozzo,' said Gibbs out aloud to the empty office.

The End

_**Josh may make an appearance in a future story! Zan XX**_


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